missmelia's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
peteradamson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mschlat's review against another edition
2.0
This book is not that movie. Yes, the movie is based on the book, and there is quite a bit of overlap with the plot, but the tone and focus are very, very different. The movie The Warriors is an action movie with a "run the gauntlet" plot; the book The Warriors is a bracing depiction of gang life with much more graphic depiction of violence, especially sexual violence, than the movie. I wouldn't recommend reading this if you loved the movie unless you are prepared for a very different experience and some potentially triggering passages. Details to follow in the spoilers.
One of the more chilling lines in the film is when Swan tells Mercy "[m]aybe we ought to pull a train on you." The Warriors don't, but it's fairly clear that they wouldn't be morally bothered if they did. Mercy (for somewhat vague reasons) stays with the Warriors, has a heart to heart later with Swan, and is even shown some compassion by him in one of my favorite scenes (when they are seated on the subway across from the prom couples and Swan discourages Mercy from fixing herself up to look nice in comparison to them).
In the book, the analogue of Mercy is gangraped and abandoned by the crew after they kill a man who insulted them on the street.
Because Yurick's goal here is not to tell a tale of adventure, but to shine a light on what gangs are like, and that means showing the violence, despair, and uncertainty that these young men experience and then transmit to others. Yes, the gang (here called the Coney Island Dominators) needs to get home after a failed meetup of many of the city's youths, but there is no plot where they are framed, there is no DJ sending coded messages, there is no climactic ending where everything is resolved. The Dominators are in danger simply because they are in the territories of other gangs, and they act out of violence not just to save their lives, but because it's the most common way they deal with anything that disturbs them.
I found the gangrape particularly difficult to read, partly because the third person narration appears to waffle about the nature of the assault (there's some prose that says the victim is enjoying it even as her actions and words indicate otherwise) and partly because Yurick follows the scene with another where the Dominators are acting as playful normal young teenagers (as they toss a dirty piece of candy bar from one gang member to another). I'm guessing the juxtaposition is quite intentional.
There's another less disturbing account of sexual assault as well as a description of the Broadway area with copious use of derogatory terms for gay men, all of which is delivered in a prose style that I often found overwrought.
I think there's some merit to the work. It's clear Yurick wanted to offer a glimpse into this world, and he tries to give a fair bit of motivation why the gang members are who they are. I had also never heard of Youth Boards (a 1960's approach to juvenile delinquency) and was intrigued by the Dominators' relationship with their social worker. But, I really can't recommend reading this unless you are interested in gang fiction from this era.
Spoiler
One of the more chilling lines in the film is when Swan tells Mercy "[m]aybe we ought to pull a train on you." The Warriors don't, but it's fairly clear that they wouldn't be morally bothered if they did. Mercy (for somewhat vague reasons) stays with the Warriors, has a heart to heart later with Swan, and is even shown some compassion by him in one of my favorite scenes (when they are seated on the subway across from the prom couples and Swan discourages Mercy from fixing herself up to look nice in comparison to them).
In the book, the analogue of Mercy is gangraped and abandoned by the crew after they kill a man who insulted them on the street.
Because Yurick's goal here is not to tell a tale of adventure, but to shine a light on what gangs are like, and that means showing the violence, despair, and uncertainty that these young men experience and then transmit to others. Yes, the gang (here called the Coney Island Dominators) needs to get home after a failed meetup of many of the city's youths, but there is no plot where they are framed, there is no DJ sending coded messages, there is no climactic ending where everything is resolved. The Dominators are in danger simply because they are in the territories of other gangs, and they act out of violence not just to save their lives, but because it's the most common way they deal with anything that disturbs them.
I found the gangrape particularly difficult to read, partly because the third person narration appears to waffle about the nature of the assault (there's some prose that says the victim is enjoying it even as her actions and words indicate otherwise) and partly because Yurick follows the scene with another where the Dominators are acting as playful normal young teenagers (as they toss a dirty piece of candy bar from one gang member to another). I'm guessing the juxtaposition is quite intentional.
There's another less disturbing account of sexual assault as well as a description of the Broadway area with copious use of derogatory terms for gay men, all of which is delivered in a prose style that I often found overwrought.
I think there's some merit to the work. It's clear Yurick wanted to offer a glimpse into this world, and he tries to give a fair bit of motivation why the gang members are who they are. I had also never heard of Youth Boards (a 1960's approach to juvenile delinquency) and was intrigued by the Dominators' relationship with their social worker. But, I really can't recommend reading this unless you are interested in gang fiction from this era.
pirate_jesus's review against another edition
2.0
Poorly written. The movie is far superior. #readingrainbow
madison_hart's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kyler_parr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
connorreid1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
gubernator's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
terppsi's review against another edition
3.0
Never thought it would take so long to read such an apparently small book!
But I guess it was all the violence. The killing/ gang bang scene felt like a punch in the stomach.
But I guess it was all the violence. The killing/ gang bang scene felt like a punch in the stomach.